


just like magic

by ThatOneGaySlytherin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Love Victor (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Comedy, Fluff, Like, M/M, Quidditch, Secret Relationship, a battle of the bands storyline, and so much venji fluff, canon hp characters are mentioned but dont make an appearance, drarry are happily married and live in a cottage in the countryside, just know that in this universe, lia and fandrew on the side, ok i lied some canon hp characters have minor roles, so much, stefan voice: this place has everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28057935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneGaySlytherin/pseuds/ThatOneGaySlytherin
Summary: After drama in his family, Victor Salazar and his sister end up transferring to Hogwarts. Though he's the new kid, Victor quickly throws himself into the social fray, waking waves with his interest in Quidditch and, to an even greater extent, his interest in Benji Campbell.Benji is just trying to get through his seventh year in one piece. Between his position as Head Boy, his struggle to decide what he wants to do with his life, and trying to stay on top of his art and his music, he's decided there can be no distractions. Until someone comes along and makes him wonder if all of his priorities are the real distraction.With tensions rising between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, a high-stakes music competition, and a brand new season of Quidditch, this is sure to be an eventful year at Hogwarts.
Relationships: Andrew Spencer/Felix Weston, Benjamin "Benji" Campbell/Victor Salazar, Mia Brooks/Lake Meriwether
Comments: 55
Kudos: 28





	1. imagine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fairyy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyy/gifts).



> I AM SO EXCITED TO BE POSTING THIS!!!!
> 
> First of all, I would like to wish a very happy birthday to the lovely [fairyy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyy), as this fic is a (slightly late) birthday present for her! Happy birthday I l*ve you and I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Also, this is very much just a self indulgent, fun WIP. I probably won't be updating it on any set schedule, but because I'm trying to keep chapters really short (by my standards lol) hopefully I'll be able to post semi-often! That being said, it might be wise to sub to this fic if you want to get updates about when I post, because it'll be pretty sporadic.
> 
> It was inevitable that I write a Venji Hogwarts AU; I mean, look at my username :,) So I'm extremely excited to finally be starting! Even though it'll probably end up getting fairly long, my goal is just to have fun with this! So I hope y'all enjoy and I can't wait to hear your thoughts <3 
> 
> {title and chapter titles are all based on Ariana Grande songs because why not just make this even more self indulgent}

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Victor

Victor feels like a bit of a traitor in his Hogwarts robes.

It’s not so much that he has a particular dislike for Hogwarts as an institution. But after five years at Ilvermorny, five years _anywhere_ , it’s difficult to dig your roots out of the soil and carry them elsewhere, just hoping they might find purchase wherever you end up.

“Victor. We have to go through this wall or whatever. We’re gonna miss the train.”

He snaps out of his reverie. Right. They’re standing in the middle of King’s Cross, just him and Pilar. Their parents had dropped them off hastily and sped away with Adrian, late for an appointment with a realtor.

The exodus from the States had been frantic, sudden, the direct result of an epic misunderstanding between Victor’s father and a particularly illustrious wand manufacturer who happened to have Ilvermorny ties. The Salazars were blacklisted from the school only a few weeks before the start of the term, which meant they had to find new accommodations immediately.

Which is why Victor is in London, holding a trolley with his belongings, disgruntled and staring at what appears to be a solid wall.

“Victor,” Pilar snaps. “Seriously, Mami will end us if we miss this damn train. Let’s go.”

Victor sighs and tightens his grip on the trolley. “You’re sure what you read is true?”

“I watched some girl do it like two minutes ago while you were busy moping.”

“Fine, let’s go then. Who’s first?”

Pilar rolls her eyes and lines her trolley up with the wall, and without another word runs up to it; she passes right through, and though Victor has seen his fair share of magic throughout his life, there’s still a moment he wonders if he’s imagined it. There’s also a moment he pictures her slamming into a solid wall and crashing to the ground, and though he loves his sister dearly, this brings a smile to his face as he passes through the barrier himself and emerges onto the platform.

Victor’s breath catches in his throat at the sight before him. Hundreds of witches and wizards willing about, friends reuniting after a summer apart, an enormous scarlet engine pumping smoke into the air. “Wow,” he breathes.

He’s heard plenty about Hogwarts of course, but it’s a different thing altogether to be standing here in front of the Hogwarts Express, absorbing the crowd and wondering if any of these people will end up becoming friends.

“Okay, I can’t lie. This is pretty cool,” Pilar admits. Like Victor, she seems to be overwhelmed by the possibilities of this new place, though she’s been much more averse to this change in schools than Victor has been. He at least sees it as the opportunity for a new start, a new era, a reinvention. Pilar mostly thinks it’s some cosmic punishment that she doesn’t deserve.

Despite all of this, she’s smiling up at the train. Victor slides an arm around her shoulder. “Changed your mind about all of this?”

“What? No,” she grumbles and rolls her shoulders to displace his arm. “It’s whatever.”

Victor laughs. “Well, you’re allowed to be excited, if you want to be.”

“Whatever,” she repeats.

There’s a sudden change in the flow of things, students making their way onto the train.

“Oh, shit, we need to board,” Victor mutters. They break into a quick stride, pushing their belongings toward the scarlet locomotive, excitement building in Victor. This is actually it. He always loved Ilvermorny, but there’s something about the history surrounding Hogwarts that makes Victor wonder what awaits him there. He’s already over the feelings of betrayal, at any rate.

Victor and Pilar manage to load their belongings onto the train with only a minute or so to spare. As they board and start to make their way down the train, Victor feels a pang of sadness when he sees students pressed up the glass of their cars, waving to parents, saying goodbye to younger siblings. At least he has Pilar here with him; he would be a disaster otherwise.

They’re still navigating the train as it pulls away from the platform, an exuberant whistle sounding through the air. Cheers sound from all around them, and soon enough they’re surrounded by verdant fields and cerulean sky.

Finally, they come to a compartment that has enough room for them. There’s just one boy inside who appears to be around their age, his skin fair and his brown hair a bit shaggy.

Victor taps his knuckles on the outside of the car. “Hi, do you mind if we join you?”

The boy looks up, breaking into a wide grin. “Come on in,” he says. “Let me guess: transfers. Unless you’re just really old looking first years?”

Settling in the seat across from him, Victor chuckles. “Definitely transfers.”

“Wow,” the boy muses. “That hardly ever happens. Ilvermorny?”

“Yep. I’m Victor by the way, and this is my sister, Pilar.”

The boy leans across the space and shakes Victor’s hand. “Great to meet you. I’m Felix.”

Victor nudges Pilar, who forces a smile, then rolls her eyes and withdraws her wand. She points it at the hem of her robes, making them blow as if in the wind.

“What year?” Felix asks.

“I’m sixth, Pilar’s fifth.”

Felix gives him an open-mouthed smile. “Nice! Same year! Any idea what House you’ll be in?”

Victor shrugs. He’s tried not to give it too much thought. He’d been in Thunderbird at Ilvermorny and Pilar had been Pukwudgie, so he thinks it’s likely they’ll end up in different Houses at Hogwarts as well. Beyond that, he hasn’t placed any bets.

“I’m in Gryffindor,” Felix says, indicating his red and gold tie. “Personally I think it’s the best House. I mean, we had Harry Potter, didn’t we?”

Pilar scoffs. “That was, like, twenty years ago. Haven’t all of the recent greats come out of Slytherin?”

“Okay, that’s true,” Felix says with a little chuckle. “Honestly, as long as you don’t go to Ravenclaw, you’ll be fine.”

Frowning, Victor leans forward. “What’s the deal with Ravenclaw?”

“I am _so_ glad you asked,” Felix says, grinning mischievously. “Aside from being pompous and pretentious, they also majorly screwed over Gryffindor last year for the House Cup. And kicked our asses in Quidditch. And then two second years had an illegal duel and both ended up in the Hospital Wing, but the Ravenclaws managed to convince everyone that Gryffindor was at fault.” He sighs. “They just suck in so many ways. Most of them, anyway.”

“Huh. So, what? There’s like a rivalry now?” Victor asks. Everything he’s ever heard about Hogwarts has been so Gryffindor- and Slytherin-centric that he never considered that the other two Houses might also have such controversial reputations.

“You could say that. I’m friends with a couple of Ravenclaws and I’m honestly a little scared to hang out with them this year. There are a lot of people on both sides who are pretty adamant that we should have nothing to do with each other.”

“That’s…ridiculous,” Pilar says flatly. “Do you honestly think a stupid competition is worth making such a rift over?”

“ _Me_? Nah,” Felix says with a little wave of his hand. “It’s gotten blown way out of proportion, but I think a whole summer apart has really allowed people to double down on their feelings. Plus from the Gryffindor perspective, Ravenclaws have definitely acted shitty.”

Pilar picks at one of her nails, the dark maroon polish chipping. “We never had any House drama like that at Ilvermorny.”

“That’s definitely not true,”” Victor mutters to Felix. “Do you think people will get over it anytime soon?”

Felix shrugs. “I’m honestly not sure. Sometimes there are still tensions between Gryffindor and Slytherin, even though that rivalry is very much in the past.”

“So it sounds like Hufflepuff is the place to be if you don’t want drama.”

Sitting back, Felix sighs. “Yeah, that’s for sure. I almost went to Hufflepuff, actually.”

“How do you know?”

“The Sorting Hat gave me a choice. It does that sometimes.”

Victor raises his eyebrows, intrigued by this. Sorting at Ilvermorny is a pretty cut-and-dry deal and there isn’t much room for preference or choice. It’s a school that prides itself on being much younger and less stuffy than some of the more established schools like Hogwarts, but Victor’s starting to wonder how true that actually is. After all, back in the States, he wasn’t even allowed to bring his wand home for the summer.

There’s a noise from outside their car, and then a girl pokes her head into the compartment, brown skin framed by dark curls. “Hey, Felix!” she says.

“Hey, Mia! How was your summer?”

“Not too bad. I stayed with Lake for a week there, that was nice.”

Felix nods, suddenly quiet. Then he seems to remember Victor and Pilar are there. “Oh, Mia, this is Victor and Pilar.”

Mia steps into the car now and Victor notices her blue tie: a Ravenclaw. There’s also a badge pinned to her robes with a large letter P. “Transfers, right?” she asks with a warm smile. “Benji was telling me there would be a couple. One of them is in our year, if I remember correctly?” Mia directs this to Felix.

“Yeah, that’s Victor,” Felix says, chipper again.

Victor gives her a closed-mouth smile.

“Cool. It’s not everyday you get to see someone get sorted who isn’t a terrified eleven-year-old,” she says with a little giggle. “They’re so cute though, I love first years.”

“Mia’s a Prefect,” Felix informs Victor, which explains her badge. “They basically just have extra responsibilities and help keep everybody else in line. And they wrangle first years, I guess?”

Mia laughs and nods, then leans out of the compartment. “Hey, B, come here!” she calls down the train. She turns back to them. “He’s not taking his rounds too seriously, so I think he won’t mind a little detour.”

Felix gasps, seemingly remembering something. “He’s been made Head Boy, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, someone may as well have cast an engorgement charm on his ego. I think he’s having a little too much fun.”

Then, another boy appears in the opening to the compartment and Victor’s heart stops. A bit on the shorter side, long hair that he casually pushes away from his forehead. His hazel eyes dazzle against the sun pouring in through the window and there’s a casual grin tapered across his lips, like he’s never been more comfortable. Sure enough, he has a badge similar to Mia’s that reads ‘Head Boy,’ as well as a matching blue tie.

“What’s up?” he asks, then looks around at the car’s inhabitants. “Felix! The only Gryffindor I’ll openly associate with!”

Mia glares at him. “Benji, you’re in the literal worst position to be perpetuating a stupid rivalry.”

“Yeah, I know,” he says, actually sounding sobered. His focus shifts from Felix and his eyes land on Victor, who fights a blush. Why the hell is he blushing, anyway? Sure, this guy is gorgeous, but he hasn’t even said anything yet. “Oh, wait, you two are the transfers!”

Victor chuckles; he hadn’t expected that their presence would be such a big deal. “Yeah, that’s us. Victor and Pilar Salazar.”

Benji steps past Mia and shakes Pilar’s hand, then Victor’s. It might be in his head, but Victor swears that Benji lingers against his touch for a moment. “Benji Campbell,” he says. “Welcome to Hogwarts.”

“Um, thanks,” Victor says, and there’s something in his voice that only Pilar recognizes; she gives him a little scandalized smile. In return, he kicks her in the shin. “Everyone’s been super welcoming already.”

“That’s good to hear,” Benji says, smiling down at him and then seemingly remembering himself. He clears his throat and makes for the compartment exit, stopping beside Mia. “We, uh, we should go finish our rounds, I guess.”

“ _Your_ rounds,” Mia says. “I’m just tagging along to make sure you don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Benji snorts. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“You making a fool of yourself or me preventing it?”

“I hate you sometimes.”

Mia grins. “Love you, too. All right, let’s go! Lake will kill me if I’m away for too long. I’m sure we’ll see you all around, it was really nice to meet you!” she calls as Benji drags her out of the compartment.

As soon as they’re gone, Pilar turns to Victor. “No way.”

“What?” Victor and Felix say at the same time.

“Don’t play dumb, I totally saw the way you looked at him.”

Victor ducks his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I mean, he _is_ sort of a gay icon at Hogwarts,” Felix says. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t have a crush on Benji Campbell.”

“Do you?” Pilar asks.

Victor is grateful to have the attention away from him for a moment so he can compose himself.

“I did at one point, actually,” Felix admits, his hands fidgeting in his lap. “Then I started dating someone else and the feelings faded, and now Benji and I are just sort of friends. Or, well, we’re friendly acquaintances. We don’t really hang out or anything like that.”

“So you have a boyfriend?” Pilar pushes.

Victor gives her a look. _Too invasive?_ he asks with his eyes.

She just shrugs and turns her attention back to Felix.

“Uh, no, I _had_ a _girlfriend_ ,” Felix says, looking down at the floor. “She’s…sort of dating Mia now.”

Pilar sits forward. “No way! Tell me _everything_.”

“ _Pilar_!” Victor warns. “I’m sure Felix doesn’t want to talk about that right now.”

Felix clears his throat. “Yeah, I’d rather not get into it, honestly. Hey, did you say your last name is Salazar?” he asks, an obvious attempt to change the subject.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, Slytherin’s namesake is Salazar Slytherin. Maybe that’s where you’ll end up.”

Victor considers this. “And would that be bad?”

Felix chuckles, whatever self-consciousness had befallen him suddenly gone. “I guess it depends how old-fashioned you are.”

“Well, I’m gay and Latino, so,” Victor jokes. He’s relieved when Felix laughs at this; it’s hard to tell when coming to such an established environment what the attitudes are on identities like his. He knows that overall wizards tend to be more progressive when it comes to issues of race and sexuality and that a lot of the social hierarchies are more out of blood status, but he also knows that they tie together to a certain extent.

Then again, Felix had openly admitted having a crush on Benji and had also called him a ‘gay icon,’ so Victor isn’t too worried about it.

The trolley comes by and they put together pocket money to buy some sweets and even Pilar starts opening up to Felix as they share chocolate frogs and Felix tells them all about Hogwarts.

“Are you interested in any clubs?” Felix asks.

Victor nods, swallowing a bit of chocolate. “I was thinking about trying out for Quidditch.”

“Oh, damn. Getting right into the big leagues, huh?”

“I guess so,” Victor says with a laugh.

“Whether or not you actually can sort of depends on which House you get sorted into,” Felix explains. “Only Gryffindor and Hufflepuff have any openings, last I heard.”

“What I’m hearing is that I should be in Gryffindor,” Victor says, giving Felix a soft smile.

Felix ponders this. “You know, I think I might be hearing that, too!”

Before Victor knows it, he can see the castle in the distance, the light already fading, sun burrowing into a distant hill and sending golds and pinks into the stratosphere. And though Victor had been hesitant at first, he’s suddenly filled with excitement. This is a brand new chapter, a chance to do things right, do things his way. Not everybody gets a chance like that.

“You ready?” Pilar murmurs to him, her voice small, reminding Victor of the same question he’d asked her on her first day at Ilvermorny. He realizes that, no matter what happens, the two of them will have each other. Living reminders of home, of their family, portable comfort.

Victor turns to her and places a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah. I’m ready.”


	2. better off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Benji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, you're getting 2 chapters to start too >:) I wanted to introduce both POVs right away. Enjoy!

Benji pulls Mia out of the compartment under the guise of suddenly being interested in fulfilling Head Boy duties, but he knows as soon as they’re out of earshot that she’s seen right through this.

“Whoah, Benji, what’s the rush?”

He stops dead and Mia runs into him with a little “ah.” Benji takes a deep breath. “There’s no rush,” he says, hoping he sounds offhand, breezy.

Mia smiles at him, one eyebrow quirked. “You’re a really bad liar. It’s that new kid, isn’t it?”

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on. The way you strode into their compartment and introduced yourself like that, all gallant. Very Gryffindor of you.”

He chuckles darkly. “You take that back,” he jokes. “I just wanted to make him feel comfortable, that’s all.”

“ _Them_ ,” Mia reminds him. “His sister was there too, though she seems to have completely slipped your mind already.”

Benji continues to stroll down the train, occasionally poking his head into the noisier compartments to make sure everything’s okay. “Okay, fine. What’s your point?” he asks after they run into a few below Ravenclaws and exchange hellos.

“He seems really nice. And he was giving you some major eyes.”

With a sigh, Benji turns to her again. “So what if he was? Some new kid is not going to distract me from crushing this year. It’s my last one, if you’d forgotten.”

“Shit, don’t remind me,” she grumbles. “I don’t think that should stop you, though.”

“Mia. I’ve literally spoken to him once.”

“Okay, then someone else, maybe!”

Benji sighs. “You just want to double date again.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like I’m trying to be subtle about it,” she says, elbowing him gently in the side. “Plus, when you were with D—when you were with _him_ ,” she corrects herself, knowing Benji doesn’t even like hearing his name anymore, “you were so much more carefree. I already know you’re gonna work yourself into the ground this year. Seventh year is supposed to be largely focused on what you want to do for your career, remember? With lots of downtime other than that?”

“And if _you’ll_ remember, I still have no idea what the hell I want my career to be.”

Benji has too much going on; he knows this is true. It’s not the worst problem to have, and he’s aware of that, but that doesn’t change the fact that it _is_ a problem for him. Between working on his art, Head Boy duties, trying to decide if he wants to go into astrology or divination or maybe something completely different, prepping for N.E.W.T.s, and rehearsals for his band—The Sticky Buckbeaks—he’s got his fullest plate in all of his years at Hogwarts. “Once I decide what I want to do with my life, maybe _then_ I can think about adding a boyfriend to my roster.”

Mia sighs beside him. “That’s fair. I just want to see you happy, you know?”

“I _am_ happy,” he says, turning to her and taking hold of her shoulders. “I never thought being a third wheel would be so fulfilling.”

“Ha ha. Lake may be okay with having you around all the time, but I _would_ like some alone time with her now and again.”

Benji raises his eyebrows. “And when I’m locked away in the astronomy tower at three in the morning, you can have all the Lake time you want.”

“Fair enough,” she says, shaking her head and chuckling.

They’ve reached their own compartment, though Benji has definitely not walked the entire train. “You think Fiona has it covered?”

“Of course she does,” Mia says with a roll of her eyes and steps into the car.

Fiona, the Head Girl, is a rather uptight Gryffindor with whom Benji doesn’t get along very well. During their Prefect days, she always criticized him in meetings for being lazy, but luckily everybody else saw right through that. Benji isn’t lazy, he just has a very hands-off style of leadership. You can’t force people to do anything; that just makes them want to break the rules more. Plus, he broke plenty of rules himself before he became a Prefect. And some after he became a Prefect. Nothing crazy, of course, but Benji definitely used to put his position in jeopardy to sneak off at night with boys. Well. One boy. But that’s over and done with, and now that he’s Head Boy, it’s more important than ever that he sets a good example. Whether or not people follow it is not his top priority.

“God, finally!” Lake groans when Benji slides the door shut behind him. “You were gone for hours.”

Mia laughs through her nose and sits down next to Lake, who promptly lifts her feet and drapes her legs across Mia’s lap. “The train only left a little over an hour ago,” Mia reminds her.

Benji sits across from them, a bit jealous. This is the first train ride in a couple of years he hasn’t had someone to cuddle with, the first time in a while he won’t get yelled at for too much PDA.

“Okay, but it felt longer. _OOH_ , you know who stopped by while you were gone? Actually no, don’t guess, I’ll just tell you. _Andrew_ ,” she says, making a face as if to say _can you believe that shit?_

“What did he want?” Benji asks. He’ll regret getting Lake started, but he’ll regret it more if he doesn’t ask her to elaborate.

Lake scoots closer to Mia and lays back on the seat, lazily pulling the tip of her wand through the air and leaving a trail of pale pink light. “Nothing specific, really. Just to catch up, talk about the summer, et cetera.”

“Oh, come on,” Benji prods. “ _What did he want_?”

Lake giggles to herself. “He was totally asking about Mia.”

“Oh, god,” Mia groans. All of Hogwarts is aware of Andrew Spencer’s legendary crush on Mia Brooks, the years of yearning and pining. They’d grown up together and up until fourth year, everybody was so sure they would end up getting married right out of Hogwarts. And then Andrew went through puberty and ended up being sort of a dick, and Mia had too much self respect to allow their peers to think that there was still a chance. She essentially cut off all communication, which only made Andrew pursue her with more fervor.

“Is he any less of an asshole?” Benji asks.

Lake laughs again, this time more of a cackle. “ _More_ , if you’ll believe it. It seems like he’s taking the Quidditch loss from last year really hard. He’s also _certain_ that they’ll win now that he’s captain.”

“That tracks,” Mia mutters. “Not that they’ll win, but that he thinks they will.”

Benji whistles. “Fighting words, Mia. I thought we were trying to close the gap between Houses.”

She scrunches up her nose at him. “It’s not a stupid rivalry thing. If they couldn’t win while they had Shannon, how the hell are they going to make it past the first round now that she’s graduated?”

“I wasn’t aware you were so knowledgeable on the intricacies of Quidditch,” Benji says. “Very hetero of you.”

Mia scoffs. “Quidditch is queer as hell, Benji. At least at Hogwarts it is. Plus, that’s not obscure trivia, it’s like the only thing Hogwarts Quidditch fans have talked about all summer. No wonder Andrew’s already overcompensating.”

“Okay, okay,” he concedes. “Are you two planning on going to the matches?”

Mia looks to Lake, who stops making bubbles with her wand and shrugs. “Why are you looking at me?”

“Because,” Mia says with a laugh, then leans down to give Lake a quick kiss. “I was hoping we could actually do things together this year.”

“Is that shade or are you being genuine? Or both? Sometimes I can’t tell,” Lake says, sitting up.

“I wasn’t referencing anything specific, if that’s what you mean.”

Lake smiles and kisses Mia on the cheek. “We can do Quidditch, if that’s what you want.”

“We’ll see how I feel when the season starts, I guess.”

They sit in silence for a while, a comfortable custom. All three of them are all too aware that an overwhelming lack of silence typically indicates an overwhelmingly presence of stupidity.

Benji does force himself to get up and do another up and down of the train as the day slips into late afternoon, glad to find everything in order. By some miracle he doesn’t run into Fiona either. All in all, it’s a rather relaxing and uneventful train ride, which Benji feels is a good omen for how this year will go.

When he returns to his own compartment, Mia grins up at him.

“We were just talking about how excited we are for Sticky Buckbeaks gigs.”

“Oh, yeah?” Benji says with a smile, taking his place across from them again.

Last year, Benji and Mia had spent a lot of time working on muffling charms and finally made it so they could make the Ravenclaw Tower completely soundproof, which meant that his band could put on concerts whenever they wanted. Even better, they could also soundproof the rooms of anybody who didn’t want to hear (but they haven’t had to do that yet because, well, Benji’s band is pretty universally liked).

“Are you planning on doing more original stuff this year?” Lake asks. “Your originals are always so iconic. Remember last year when someone found out how to enchant wands to play music and you would hear “Punch Drunk” pretty much anywhere you went?”

Benji laughs; he’d actually forgotten about this brief era in the early spring. “That did feel pretty incredible, I can’t lie. Yeah, I started a couple of songs over the summer, but it’s sort of hard to live up to the hype of a song like that, isn’t it?”

“Ah, I’m sure you can do it,” Mia says.

“Maybe. I won’t have a lot of time as it is, so I’m not sure how much new stuff we’ll be doing. We’ll probably stick to covers at first anyway, just until we can get our bearings.” After breaking up with his ex, who’d been their bassist, Benji and the band had to recalibrate and find a new member. It was difficult, not because there was a lack of options, but rather because there were too many. They did finally make a decision though: a fifth year Ravenclaw named Rae.

Honestly, it would be better this way. For one, now they were all in Ravenclaw. The other two members, Cole and Brinna, who play keyboard and drums respectively, were also already friendly with Rae, so it sort of made sense. And now there wouldn’t be relationship drama interrupting their rehearsals, messing with their chemistry. Everybody wins.

“Uh, Benji? Did you hear that?” Mia asks.

Benji crashes back to the present, all thoughts of the band dissipating. The day outside is starting to tip into night, and he can see Hogwarts in the distance. “Huh?”

“Listen,” Mia says, frowning.

From what sounds like the next car over, there’s a thud followed by a scream.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Benji huffs and jumps out of his seat, drawing his wand and making his way to the adjacent compartment. They’re less than fifteen minutes away from the castle and _now_ is when people decide to start trouble?

He throws open the door just as the set of sounds repeats. Its source? A group of seventh year boys levitating their luggage and dropping it onto each other’s heads.

“Really? This is what we’re doing?” Benji asks, looking at each of them and going cold when he realizes that one of them is none other than Derek. “Felt two brain cells each was too many, did we?” Benji asks, trying to keep his composure as Derek rolls his eyes. “You’re seventh years. Act like it.” At this, he slams the compartment door shut and turns around, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead.

 _Fuck_. He really thought seeing Derek wouldn’t make his mouth go dry like that anymore, wouldn’t squeeze his nervous system into a mess of pulp. But here he is, alone in the train corridor, eyes closed and forcing deep breaths. He can’t let anybody see him like this; he has a reputation to uphold, damn it.

“Uh, is everything okay?”

Benji startles and his eyes flutter open. Standing in front of him is the boy he’d met earlier, his face concerned.

“I, yeah, everything’s fine,” Benji says, hating the way his voice comes out so high and breathy. “Just haven’t eaten much today, that’s all.”

The boy nods—Victor, that’s his name. “I don’t know if this will help at all, but I’ve heard that counting while you breathe can make it easier. Like, you breathe in for seven, hold for three, and then breathe out for six. I think that’s the pattern.”

“Oh,” Benji says and swallows, though his throat is bone-dry. “Yeah, thanks, I’ll give that a try.”

Victor nods. “I can’t even imagine how overwhelming it must be to be Head Boy. Felix was telling me all about it.”

“Maybe a little,” Benji admits, “but it’s not so bad. Uh, speaking of which, we’re almost there. You should probably get back to your compartment.”

“Of course, sorry. I was just looking for the bathroom.”

Benji shakes his head and manages a smile. “No apology necessary. See you around?”

“Yeah, see you,” Victor says with a little smile. He brushes past Benji and starts briskly down the corridor.

“And Victor?” Benji calls after him. For a second he’s terrified he’s remembered the name wrong, that he’s just embarrassed himself further, but Victor turns around, looking a bit shocked. “Thanks,” Benji says simply. He leaves it at that, gives Victor a smile, and then he’s off again with a little wave, robes fluttering behind him.

Before he joins Mia and Lake again, Benji decides to try Victor’s advice. He breathes in, counting carefully, then holds the breath for three seconds. Finally, he exhales. He doesn’t feel any better so he tries again, the chug of the train on the tracks soothing him as he gets out of his head and finds himself grounded in his body, focused exclusively on the lengths of his breaths. After a few cycles, his hands have stopped trembling.

He laughs to himself, a single puff of air through his nose, and slips back into his compartment.

While he fills in Lake and Mia about the idiocy he’d stopped in the next compartment over, he can’t stop thinking about Victor’s face, glowing in the golden, fading sunlight. And he has no plans to pursue _anybody_ this year; there’s too much at stake to throw it all away on some guy.

But he wonders if that weren’t true, would he take the chance? And could Victor be that guy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Sticky Buckbeaks" is an incredible invention by the lovely [Dani/callmevenji](https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmevenji/pseuds/callmevenji) and is perhaps one of the funniest things I've heard, stan Dani!


	3. be alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> POV: Victor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi! been a while since I updated this and my semester starts this week so I wanted to get a new chapter out before I get swamped with work!! <3

“You’re sure the two of you’ll be fine?”

They step off the train, the sky already dark. Victor smiles at Felix. “Yeah, I think we’ll be good. At least we have each other.”

Pilar rolls her eyes. “I hate that you’re right. But I might hex myself if I had to go through this sorting thing alone. Just me and a bunch of children.”

“You’re still a child,” Victor says.

Felix chuckles. “Well, good luck. You already know what I’m hoping for, but you’ll both be great wherever you end up.”

“Thanks, Felix.” Victor gives him an appreciative smile and Felix joins the flow of students headed up to the castle.

The Salazars had been informed that, for the welcome feast, they were to follow instructions as if they were first years. It makes enough sense—they can’t just give Victor and Pilar special treatment. Plus, when else would they get sorted?

So they follow the slew of eleven-year-olds as they follow a giant of a man, grizzled and graying but warm and friendly. “All righ’, here’re the boats,” he calls out over the crowd. “Climb on in.”

Victor and Pilar exchange a look and claim a boat; in after them clambers a girl who couldn’t look more terrified. “Hi, I’m Victor,” he says.

“T-Theresa,” she stammers. “You’re new too?”

He nods and Pilar giggles, then gives Theresa’s arm a little squeeze. “We’re transfers from Ilvermorny,” she explains.

“Wow,” she says, nerves gone and replaced with wonder. “Cool.”

Before they can say anymore, the boats have started to move of their own accord, gliding soundlessly over the smooth black surface of the lake. A chorus of gasps fills the air when the castle comes into view. Grand, spired, shining golden against a cloudy dark sky. Victor glances sideways at Pilar; she doesn’t notice, she’s enraptured with the building that looms ahead.

The boats reach solid ground and the man—his name is Hagrid, he mentions as they climb onto shore—guides them up to the castle. They gather just outside the Great Hall, chittering and whispering in excitement.

Victor attempts to take in the majesty of the Entrance Hall, but before he can really appreciate the gorgeous space they’re ushered into the room.

There’s another wave of amazed breaths as they enter the hall. Victor’s heard plenty about the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but seeing it in person is a completely different story. The ceiling is a replica of the night sky, black and blue and purple, shining with thousands of stars that actually twinkle and shimmer. Candles hover in the air, bobbing up and down and bathing the space in warm light.

All eyes are on Victor and Pilar as the group is led to the front; they’re heads taller than everyone else, so it’s impossible not to draw focus. Victor catches Felix’s eye at the Gryffindor table and Felix sticks both of his thumbs up.

As he goes to look front, he meets Benji’s gaze and remains there for a second, two seconds, and when Benji’s mouth twitches into the hint of a hopeful, encouraging smile Victor manages to tear his eyes away and focus on the task at hand.

When they reach the front of the hall and gather in an anxious blob of bodies, an older witch with a severe visage greets them, smiling politely. This must be Professor McGonagall, the headmistress. She’d written back and forth with Victor’s mother a few times to work out the details. Though she looks like someone on whose bad side Victor would not like to be on, he knows from her letters that she’s actually rather pleasant.

“Good evening,” she starts. “Welcome to Hogwarts. I hope your trip was pleasant?”

Some half-hearted nods from the first years.

“Good, good. Now, we’re going to begin our sorting ceremony. Typically, our sorting hat sings a song, but it has informed me that it only has a few words of wisdom to impart before we commence.”

She places a raggedy hat onto a stool, which shortly after seems to wake up. Victor almost laughs when it begins to speak.

“As many, we are strong. As one, we are unstoppable. Our differences make us unique, but our similarities bind us.”

The room goes quiet for a moment, then somebody starts to clap. Reluctant, confused applause follows, and then another silence.

“Very well,” McGonagall says, looking a bit thrown herself. “Let us begin.”

She begins to read off names and students step forward one by one. The hat is placed on an eager head and after a few moments, it announces a House and the student runs off to join their new table.

Victor is sweating by the time they’ve made it to the “N” last names, when “Theresa, Nuñez,” is called and the girl who’d shared their boat trembles to the front and is sorted into Ravenclaw.

Finally, he hears, “Salazar, Pilar.”

Excited chatter pulses through the room at the name Salazar, especially from the Slytherin table.

Victor gives his sister’s hand a squeeze as she gently pushes her way through the remaining first years and sits down on the stool. Pilar squeezes her eyes shut for only a moment, and the hat briskly announces, “Slytherin!”

The Slytherin table bursts into applause and Pilar exhales in relief, beaming as she saunters over to the Slytherin table. She sits down next to a pretty blonde girl, who immediately gives her a hug.

Victor is so caught up in this moment that he forgets he will inevitably be next up. His name rings through the Great Hall, another curious symphony of hushed voices backing him as he approaches the stool.

McGonagall gives him a tight smile and places the hat on his head.

He jumps when he hears a voice in his ear, talking to him but not quite speaking.

_“Hmm, interesting. A sixth year already, very sure of yourself. Confident, self-assured, yes, and with a good heart. Very interesting indeed. I see some cunning there, too. Could work in Slytherin with your sister, yes, but there’s a bold quality about you, isn’t there? All right, then, easy enough.”_

Then, much louder, Victor hears, “Gryffindor!”

He grins as the Gryffindor table erupts. Towards the front, Felix is one of the many on their feet, pumping his fist in the air. The hat lifts from his head, Victor mutters a “Thank you” to Professor McGonagall, and he joins his new House.

Felix forcefully pushes a younger boy away from him and slaps the bench beside him, so Victor grins and sits down.

“This is fantastic!” Felix says in an excited whisper, as another sorting is already happening. “How do you feel?”

“Really great,” Victor says.

“What about your sister?”

Victor finds her across the room; she’s already deep in conversation with the blonde girl. “I think we both ended up exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

As “Wallace, Marguerite,” is called, Victor again finds Benji at the Ravenclaw table. By accident, of course; he definitely had not been actively seeking him out to gauge his reaction. Benji meets his eye and smiles, though there’s something disappointed about it. Victor’s face flushes and he turns his attention back to the front of the hall as Marguerite is sorted into Hufflepuff and the ceremony concludes.

“Thank you all for your patience,” Professor McGonagall says. “As there are no major announcements, I say we dive in!” She claps her hands and the tables are suddenly laden with food, hot and fragrant.

Victor’s stomach growls—loud enough for Felix to hear it, because he laughs and passes Victor a large bowl of mashed potatoes. “You’d better start with these.”

“Thanks,” Victor says. He can’t imagine why he ever felt apprehensive to come to Hogwarts now that he’s here. A warmth has settled into his bones, soft and certain, and he feels a bit like he’s floating. The enchanted candles and ghosts drifting around the room certainly contribute to that feeling.

As they dig into their dinner, a loud voice draws Felix’s attention. “Hey, Weston!” calls a boy on the opposite side of the table, several yards down. “You hear the news?”

“God,” Felix moans. Then he calls back, “No, Andrew, care to elaborate?”

Andrew pauses, frowns, then rolls his eyes and goes back to eating.

“What’s all that about?” Victor asks.

Felix looks flustered as he takes a large bite of a buttered scone. “It’s stupid. He’s obsessed with that girl Mia that you met on the train, but she’s dating my ex-girlfriend Lake now. I was wondering how long it would be before he taunted me about it.”

“Kinda shitty of him to bring it up.”

With a shrug, Felix takes a large gulp of water. “He’s just projecting. It’s whatever.”

“Is Lake also a Gryffindor?”

“No, she’s in Slytherin,” Felix says, then looks across the room. “Oh! She’s actually talking to your sister right now.”

Victor follows Felix’s gaze and lands once again on the pretty blonde, who’s speaking animatedly, her hands flapping as she does. “You dated her?”

Felix pouts. “Yeah, she’s out of my league, I know. Don’t worry, pretty much everybody took every opportunity they could to remind me—“

“That’s not what I meant,” Victor says with an awkward laugh. “I guess I just wouldn’t have thought that she’s your type.”

“She’s a lot of fun,” Felix says and helps himself to more peas. “We’re still friends and stuff. People think she’s the ditzy popular type, but she’s actually a huge dork. Just ask Mia, she’ll tell you. Maybe we can all hang out sometime if this Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw business ever clears up!”

Victor hums and considers this new information as he watches Pilar and Lake interact. Lake is the kind of girl Pilar used to cast secret jinxes on in the hallways at Ilvermorny, so to see her so interested in what she has to say is intriguing to Victor.

“Anyway, what classes are you taking?”

Victor blinks. “I’m actually not sure. We didn’t have time to work that out yet.”

“Does Ilvermorny have most of the same stuff, do you know?”

“I think mostly.”

“That makes sense, I think curriculums are pretty standard these days, so— _OH_!” he says loudly; Victor drops his fork in surprise and splashes some gravy onto his robes. “Sorry,” Felix says with a chuckle as he passes Victor an extra napkin. “I just realized you can tryout for Quidditch since you’re in Gryffindor!”

“Oh, yeah!” Victor says, already forgetting about the fresh stain on his clothes. “You said they only have one position open, right?”

“I think so. Do you play Chaser?”

Victor’s excitement dies down a notch. “I can, but I’m more used to Seeker.”

Felix grimaces. “Unfortunately, Gryffindor _very much_ has a Seeker.” He points up the table at the guy who’d heckled him moments prior. “Andrew’s Seeker _and_ he’s the captain. He’s been an absolute git about it as well. Thinks that Gryffindor will finally rise to its former glory under his thumb and all that.”

“He sounds like a piece of work.”

“He can be. It’s mostly talk, though. Since he sort of follows Mia around, I’ve spent some time with him, and he’s actually sort of a sweet guy underneath the bravado.”

Victor studies Andrew as Felix speaks. There’s a group sitting around him, boisterous and rowdy, but Andrew himself seems a bit turned inward. Occasionally he’ll smile half-heartedly at something, but then a serious expression moves in to replace it.

“That’s the team he’s sitting with,” Felix says when he notices where Victor’s attention is. “Fun group of people, even though they’re a little cocky sometimes. Do you want me to introduce you?”

“Uh, no, that’s okay,” Victor says. He thinks he’s met plenty of new people today, and he’ll inevitably meet them at tryouts. “Are they any good?”

Felix shrugs. “I think so. They almost won the cup last year, but…Ravenclaw,” he says with another little shrug and goes back to his meal.

Across the hall, Victor finds his sister again just at the moment she’s pointing him out to Lake. Victor raises his eyebrows, checking in, and Pilar gives him a nod, her expression saying _Yes, dummy, I’m fine_.

“Okay,” he mouths and gives her a thumbs up. Pilar turns to Lake and the two of them giggle about something; heat floods to Victor’s ears, but he tries to ignore them and focus on eating.

Shortly after, the food on the tables disappears and sweets materialize instead, biscuits and fudge and fruit tarts. Though he’s already full, Victor can’t help but scoop a couple chocolate biscuits onto his plate to nibble on.

“How does it compare?” Felix asks as he scoops ice cream into his mouth.

“Well, it’s definitely different. The food is really good, though.”

“Did you have, like, hamburgers and stuff at Ilvermorny?”

Victor snorts and snaps a biscuit in half. “We actually did, every once in a while. But not fast food burgers. Good, legit burgers from the grill. Barbecue days were always a hit.”

“Okay, that actually sounds pretty good.”

“I think the energy surrounding Houses was a little different, too. We were definitely like family, but it wasn’t quite so…exclusive.”

Felix frowns. “Does it seem that way here?”

“I mean, a little bit, yeah,” Victor says with a laugh. “The fact that you feel like you can’t hang out with your Ravenclaw friends is a pretty good indication that you all take your Houses pretty seriously.”

“Huh. I guess I never thought about it that way.”

“Plus, didn’t you say the hat gave you a choice? You could just as easily be in Hufflepuff, or I could be in Slytherin. It’s impossible to boil people down to just a couple of traits.”

“But Ilvermorny also has houses,” Felix says, a bit defensive.

“True, but it wasn’t the same. We acknowledged that it was sort of over-simplified to separate people into one of four categories, and there was hardly any rivalry.”

Felix frowns and chews on a piece of brownie. “So what are you saying?”

“I’m not trying to make a point or anything. I’m just saying it’s different.”

Felix nods, his brows pinched together thoughtfully, then returns his focus to his sundae.

After dessert is finished, the din in the Great Hall tapers off some. Stomachs full and eyelids heavy, the students of Hogwarts are ready to call it a night.

McGonagall gives some final instructions, reminding the Prefects that it’s their job to lead their Houses to their respective common rooms.

Felix sighs, content, and stretches his arms as people being to rise from the tables. Victor follows, finding Pilar once more and giving her a smile. She sticks out her tongue but smiles back. Yeah, she’s gonna be just fine.

“This way, Gryffindors, please!” comes a voice from the other end of the table. Its owner is a stocky girl with flaming red hair and freckles, looking very self-important.

“Here we go,” Felix grumbles. “That’s Fiona, she’s Head Girl,” he explains. “She’s like Benji’s female counterpart, basically.”

“Do we not like her?” Victor asks, recognizing some rancor in Felix’s tone.

“She’s just so…rigid. Obsessed with rules and stuff. Thing is, she’s actually not all that bright.”

Victor frowns as the Gryffindor pack begins to move toward the hall’s exit. “So how did she end up in that position?”

“Lots of ass-kissing, we think. She was a Prefect her fifth and sixth years and wrote up a lot of people for stupid stuff, but statistically what that _looks_ like is that she was more on top of her duties. And hey, speaking of Benji…” Felix says and wiggles his eyebrows.

Victor turns the corners of his mouth down and looks to the side. “What about him?”

“Well, what your sister said on the train wasn’t _wrong_ , was it?”

Victor would very much like to crawl under the table and hide from this question, his cheeks burning pink. “It doesn’t help that he’s actually gay, too,” he mumbles. “But I don’t think so, Felix. Everything is so new and I’m gonna have a hard enough time catching up with everybody. Just doesn’t seem like a good time to get involved with someone so…”

“Perfect?”

“Not what I was thinking, but sure.”

Felix sighs. “That’s fair. Plus—“

“He’s a Ravenclaw, yeah, yeah,” Victor says.

Felix chuckles and pats his shoulder. “See? You already get it. You’re gonna fit in perfectly Victor Salazar-Not-Slytherin.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. I’ve already decided, that’s a thing now.”

Victor groans but laughs anyway as he follows Felix out of the Great Hall, and he thinks that Felix is right. He’s going to find his way just fine.


	4. gave it away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi!! Been a minute since I worked on this, but now that I'm already starting to ge the Venji wheels turning I'm hoping I'll get more and more excited to keep writing! I'm typically much more of a slow-burn author so it's definitely a little weird for me to be moving things along so fast but oh well, I hope it works for y'all hehe <3 enjoy!!

Benji watches, crestfallen, as Victor Salazar is Sorted in Gryffindor. He’s glad for the burst of celebratory cheers at the Gryffindor table to pull everybody’s attention as he fights a deep scowl.

Unfortunately, Mia knows him too well. “Don’t look so upset.”

“I’m not,” he lies.

She pats his shoulder. “Okay.”

“Really, I’m not!”

“Sounds like I’m not the one who needs convincing,” she singsongs as the Sorting ceremony continues.

Benji slumps at the table. Okay, so _maybe_ there was a small part of him that was hoping Victor would be Sorted into Ravenclaw. Or a big part. Whatever. All the signs seemed to be there to Benji—Victor struck him as bright, driven, emotionally intelligent. This is, of course, predicated only on the two interactions they’ve had, but Benji really thought he had a good read on Victor. And now to find out that he’s gone to the _meatheads_ …

He chastises himself. Not all Gryffindors are meatheads; just most of them. And if he thinks about it, he’s mostly surprised that Victor didn’t end up in Slytherin. With his last name, there’s no way there isn’t some kind of familial tie back to the founder of the House.

“You’re staring,” Mia mutters beside him.

Benji waves her off; Victor is too distracted talking to Felix to notice anyway. There’s that, at least. Felix is one of the only Gryffindors Benji would go out of his way to spend time with, so Victor may not be a lost cause yet.

He almost falls backward off the bench when Victor turns his head and meets Benji’s stare. Panicked, he gives Victor a smile and tries not to look too defeated. Maybe he’s crazy, maybe it’s just the excitement of the evening, but Benji swears Victor’s face flushes as he quickly turns away.

After the final first year is Sorted, McGonagall informs the students that there are no further announcements and the feast begins, food springing up along the tables.

Benji’s stomach revs loudly, which sends Mia into a fit of giggles.

“Sorry, I just don’t think I’ve ever heard a stomach make that sound before.”

“I was on patrol duty when the trolley came round,” Benji grumbles and piles mashed potatoes onto his plate.

Mia snorts. “Is that all you’re eating?”

“No, _mum_.” Benji makes a big show of taking a large scoop of peas and depositing it beside his potatoes.

“Not peas…”

Benji ignores her and takes another big spoonful. Peas get such a bad rap, but Benji thinks they’re misunderstood. If you prepare them correctly, they’re basically just a way to get butter into your mouth. The only way to eat more butter would be to just eat butter.

“Okay, you’re way too quiet,” Mia says and sets down her fork. “What’s going on?”

He’s been trying to avoid the topic since his little episode on the train. Maybe that’s why he’s latched onto this cute new guy, just as a way to distract himself. “I guess I’m still sort of torn up about the whole…Derek thing.”

“Oh. I had no idea it was still bothering you so much. I guess it didn’t help that you had to see him before we even got off the train?”

“That’s definitely part of it,” Benji says. He pushes his peas into a neat circle around his potatoes, his head resting against his free hand. “It was hard to see him so…fine? Like, he seemed completely normal. Just being an idiot with his friends.”

“You were being an idiot with me and Lake. Don’t you think it’s possible he’s feeling the same way and he’s just doing a good job of hiding it?”

Benji blows a breath through his nose. He wouldn’t put it past his ex-boyfriend; Derek always was good at keeping his secrets. “I suppose…”

“Look, it’s your _last year_ , Benji,” Mia says and turns toward him. “I would hate to see you held back by a guy who, frankly, doesn’t give a shit about you.”

He looks up, frowning.

“I’m sorry, but you know I’m right. He sucks, B.”

Unsure where the sudden urge to defend Derek has come from, Benji concedes and goes back to making shapes with his peas. “Fine. You’re right, he sucks.”

“You’re not great at being single, I think,” she tries. “But think of all of the things you can get done without the distraction of a self-absorbed parasite attached to you!”

“When you put it that way,” Benji says sardonically. He accidentally flicks a tiny green sphere across the table and hits Patricia Mulligan square in the forehead. “Shit, sorry Patty,” he says with a sheepish grin. She rolls her eyes and turns back to Rachel Turner, with whom she appears to be having a particularly salacious conversation.

“This will be good for you,” Mia insists. “Think about all the time we’ll get to spend together!”

“Just you, me, and Lake. Can’t wait.”

Mia sighs. “You know what? You’re wallowing right now. And that’s okay. You wallow. I’ll try again once you’re done soaking in self-pity.”

“Hey!”

She laughs. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

“You’re not, but you didn’t have to say it.”

“We can disagree there. Ooh, look, dessert’s on!”

And while Benji would usually be ecstatic when presented with a tableful of sweets, he can’t shake the feeling that’s come over him. Plus, he can’t stop glancing over at the Gryffindor table like an idiot, like a third year with some silly crush. Felix and Victor seem to be really hitting it off. Is this a pang of jealousy? What the fuck is happening to him?

Finally, after what feels like an agonizing stretch of time, the feast concludes. McGonagall reminds the prefects that it’s their duty to guide the first years to their respective common rooms and Benji sighs, realizing that his responsibilities as Head Boy are about to go into full effect.

He rises and gives Mia a bracing smile. “Catch up later?”

“Going to go stalk the new kid to the Gryffindor common room?”

“Ha ha.”

“Have fun Mister Head Boy,” she teases as she breaks off, finding one of her roommates and starting off toward Ravenclaw Tower.

A throat clears behind Benji and he almost falls over. When he turns, Derek stands behind him, his face all lopsided smile and stupid glint in his eyes.

“Oh. Hi, Derek,” Benji says, his face heating up.

“Hey. Can we talk for a second?”

Benji looks around, wishing someone would try to initiate some mischief to give him a good excuse to avoid this conversation, or at least delay it. When nothing presents, he turns back to Derek. “Yeah, sure.”

“Outside?”

“Look, I’m really supposed to be—“

“It’ll be fast, I promise.”

“Fine,” Benji huffs. He follows Derek out of the Great Hall, flashing smiles to familiar faces as they file out and toward their respective common rooms.

Derek pulls him off to the side. “What you saw on the train—“

“I have half a mind to dock some serious points from Hufflepuff for that, you know,” Benji interrupts, his own anger surprising him. “Won’t be having such a laugh with your friends when they find out you’re the reason your House is starting the term in the negative.”

“Benji, can you just listen? I’m trying to apologize here.”

“And another thing—wait, apologize?”

Derek waves to a group of friends as they pass. “Yes, Benji. I just don’t want you to think I’m some idiot who can’t take himself seriously.”

Of course, this is exactly what Benji thinks of Derek, but he keeps his mouth closed and allows his ex to continue.

“We were just practicing some charms to make sure we weren’t rusty and things got out of hand.”

“You seemed to be plenty amused from what I saw.”

“Okay, but wouldn’t you also laugh if you saw someone drop a trunk on someone else’s head?”

Benji narrows his eyes and crosses his arms.

“Maybe not,” Derek mutters. “My point is, I feel like a lot has changed over the summer, and I just don’t want you to think of me as that same immature arse I was last year.”

“Why do you care so much what I think?” Benji says, anger simmering just below the surface. “You’re the one who dumped me, remember?” He frowns. “Hold on. You’re not trying to, like rekindle things, right? Because it’s way too late for that,” Benji says, his jaw set.

Derek’s eyes widen. “What? Fuck, no, absolutely not.”

“Okay, you don’t have to say it like _that_.”

“Whatever,” Derek says. “No, I promise it’s not about that. I’m way too busy this year anyway. Between prep for N.E.W.T.s and the new band, there’s not time for any of that.”

“Hold on there,” Benji says and splays the fingers of his right hand. He closes his eyes. “Did you just say ‘new band?’”

Derek grins. “Oh, hadn’t you heard?”

“Fucking hell. That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You’ve come to—what? To gloat?”

“Always so presumptuous, Benji,” Derek says, exaggerating his offense. “Since when were The Sticky Buckbeaks the only band allowed at Hogwarts?”

“I didn’t say that. Can we cut the bullshit? What do you want?”

Derek shrugs, looking around with nonchalance. “Nothing in particular. I just think you may find that people will be reconsidering loyalties, and you deserved a warning.”

“If you try to take any of my bandmates,” Benji says and steps forward, reaching for his wand without thinking.

With a step back, Derek throws his hands up. “Attacking another student? Wouldn’t be a great report to have to give on your first day as Head Boy.”

Benji stands down. “Fuck you.”

“I’m not stealing any of your musicians, anyway. We’ve already got a group. I meant your fanbase.”

“You think whatever outfit you managed to throw together is somehow gonna be better than a band that’s been playing together for years?”

“You haven’t even heard us play.”

“And I never will, if I can help it.”

Derek’s nostrils flare and something in Benji yaps excitedly; Derek had done this to get under Benji’s skin, but it’s clear he hadn’t anticipated Benji pushing back. “Well, we’ll just see which band is better, won’t we?”

“I suppose we will. I would say good luck, but I don’t think even luck would help.”

Derek stares him down, fists clenched. “You always were a tightarse, Benji. Maybe if you lighten up, people would actually want to be your friend for your personality.”

Benji takes a step away, his teeth pressed together so hard they creak. “Ten points from Hufflepuff,” he spits.

Before Derek can even respond, the nearby hourglass changes, the few golden gems inside flying upward and disappearing.

“For what?” Derek splutters, furious.

“For disrespecting your fucking Head Boy. Get to your common room before I make it fifty.”

Derek gives him a defiant glare; there’s a moment Benji thinks he’s going to say something more, but he just makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and turns on his heel, stomping off toward the kitchens and where the Hufflepuffs live.

Benji stands solitary in the Entrance Hall, shaking with rage, and remembers what Victor had told him earlier on the train. _Breathe in for seven, hold for three, and then breathe out for six_. Benji tries this again, breathing deliberately, and after a few cycles his anxiety has lessened.

It’s going to be an interesting last year.

* * *

He’s sprawled out in the courtyard, the stone warm and sure beneath him. Mia is to his right, people-watching and humming gently. The way their schedules have worked out give them this first chunk of Wednesday mornings free, and because they haven’t had classes yet of course there’s no homework to worry about.

“Did you say Lake was coming or not?” Benji asks without picking up his head.

“She said she would be here,” Mia says. “I’m not too worried about it. You know how she is.”

Benji snorts. “She runs on Lake time, right.”

“What about Lake time?”

Benji does sit up now; Lake’s voice carries across the courtyard, though he has no idea how she’d heard him from the other side. By her side is the girl from the train—Victor’s sister. Benji’s stomach does a loop and he forces a casual smile.

“Hey, babe,” Mia says as Lake plops down next to her. “Didn’t realize you were bringing a friend.”

“Don’t we get a plus one to every hangout sesh?”

Mia scoffs. “Am _I_ not your designated plus-one?”

“It’s Pilar, right?” Benji says. But of course he remembers her name.

She nods. “That’s me.”

“This one,” Lake says and grabs one of Pilar’s shoulders, “is an absolute delight. We sort of just hit it off at the feast last night!”

Benji gives Lake a look; he has a feeling she’s up to something. More often than not, Lake has some scheme or another in the works. It’s the exact kind of Slytherin tendency that Benji both loves and despairs.

“What? Am I not allowed to have other friends? I hardly ever talk to any of the other Slytherins.”

Mia snorts. “I have a hard time believing that.”

“Fine, but talking _at_ people isn’t the same as actually chatting with a friend,” Lake says with a dignified sniff. She’s self-aware, Benji has to give her that.

There’s a commotion at the courtyard entrance; Benji looks round to find half the Gryffindor Quidditch team coming out of the castle and into the sunlight, raucous mirth emanating from the group.

“Oh, bloody hell,” Mia mutters. “They’re not coming this way, are they?”

Benji makes eye contact with Andrew Spencer, who is very much coming their way. “Unfortunately it seems to be a direct attack.”

Mia looks around for a moment, then right as Andrew opens his mouth to say hello, Mia pulls Lake close to her and presses their lips together.

Benji stifles a laugh and turns away so Andrew doesn’t notice; Andrew’s face has absolutely deflated, and around him his friends whistle and jeer at him.

“Better luck next time!” one of them chirps as the pack continues on their way, exiting the courtyard and sweeping out over the grounds. Andrew looks back once and Mia waves to him.

“Mia, you cheeky thing,” Benji says and pushes her knee.

“I just can’t deal with that so early in the year, I really can’t.”

Lake is glaring at her. “I’m just here as Andrew repellent, is that it?”

“Oh, please, you love kissing me in public.”

“That’s not the point.”

Mia and Lake quickly devolve into petty bickering about PDA, during which Benji and Pilar exchange looks that range from entertained to exasperated.

“So,” Benji says loudly after he’s sure they’ve all had quite enough and before Mia can bring up the time Lake made out with her between exams last term specifically to piss off one of her exes. “Pilar, what classes are you taking?”

“Little bit of everything,” she says, sounding grateful that Benji’s changed the subject. “I guess I’ll have to prepare for…what are they called again?”

“O.W.L.s?” Mia guesses.

“Right, those. I guess I’m sort of just seeing what I end up doing well in.”

Benji nods. “I always thought fifth year was too early to start thinking about the future and all that. Why can’t O.W.L.s be year six?”

“And take those awful exams two years in a row?” Lake scoffs. “I don’t think so.”

“All right, fine. Speaking of, your brother’s a sixth year, right?” Benji asks, unsure what’s come over him. He already knows this, for one thing. For another, how is that relevant at all to the conversation?

Pilar gives him a coy smile. “Yeah, he is.”

Lake snorts and cover her face with her hands.

“What?” Benji asks, a blush creeping into his cheeks. “Did I miss something?”

Lake waves her hands and shakes her head, still giggling. “Nope. Everything is normal.”

Pilar also giggles. Benji looks to Mia, who shrugs and gives him a sympathetic look. “I can’t help you either.”

“He’s so cute, right?” Lake asks Pilar.

“Okay, will _someone_ tell me what’s going on?”

Lake stops laughing and lets out an entertained sigh. “Benji, I love you, but you’re so hopeless sometimes.”

“My brother totally has a thing for you,” Pilar clarifies.

Benji blinks. “We’ve only just met.”

“Yeah, and from the way you talked about him on the train yesterday it’s pretty clear that you’ve got a thing for him, too.”

Pilar nods fervently. “Victor has a tendency to do the love at first sight thing. It’s really annoying but I guess it could be cute. If you’re into that kind of thing.”

“See?” Lake says. “What’s _your_ excuse, Benji?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Benji grumbles. He pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms round.

“You kept finding ways to bring him up,” Lake says, rolling her eyes. “Subtlety was never your strongest point.”

“She has a point,” Mia says. “You _did_ do it again just now.”

Benji huffs. “I already told Mia yesterday, I’m not looking for anything right now.”

“Oh, come on,” Lake says. She waggles her eyebrows. “Clearly the two of you have some weird, instant chemistry. It seems a little silly to ignore that.”

Benji looks to Pilar, who puts her hands up. “All I’m saying is I know my brother. His pupils were practically hearts when y’all met.”

“Can we talk about something else,” Benji moans, his mouth dry.

“Come on, B! Live a little!” Lake says and grabs one of his arms, giving it a good shake. “He’s cute, he’s single, and we have it on good word that he’s got the hots for you.”

“But, I—he’s a Gryffindor.”

This earns him significant glares from Mia and Lake.

“Imagine what McGonagall would say if she heard you refused to kiss someone because of their House,” Lake says.

Benji flushes at the idea of McGonagall saying _anything_ about his romantic life. Still, Mia had also made a similar point then evening before.

“Whatever,” Benji says. “I’ll think about it. Whatever,” he repeats.

Lake squeals and shakes his arm again. “Operation get Benji a cute boyfriend is a go!”

“No, no,” Benji says and pulls his arm away. “If _anything_ is gonna happen, you’re all staying out of it. That’s my condition, okay? I’ll…I don’t know, I’ll get to know him and see what happens. But only if none of you interfere. Especially you Slytherins. Sneaky lot,” he mumbles.

“Fine, I _promise_ I’ll stay out of it,” Lake says, batting her lashes.

Mia laughs. “I’ll make sure she behaves, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Lake says and pats Mia’s cheek tenderly.

Benji chuckles; it feels good to release some of this nervous energy and turn it into something positive.

Pilar catches his eye and gives him an encouraging smile. _It’s worth a shot_ , she seems to be saying.

He considers the conversation he’d had with Derek, the manipulation, the fights, the gaslighting. He can’t go through that again, not ever, and especially not so soon. But something in Pilar’s eyes—something that was in _Victor’s_ eyes—feels like a good omen.

Benji stretches his arms behind his head and lays backward across the stone, shards of sunlight kissing his soft smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!!! If you'd like, please leave a kudos and a comment too if you're up for that! I love to hear what y'all think <3
> 
> Also, if you're looking for a more serious Venji fic that takes place in-canon universe, check out my WIP [Good Things Fall Apart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24847897/chapters/60108967)! If you're more of an angst or hurt/comfort type reader, GTFA will definitely be up your alley (but there's definitely fluff as well)!


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